ICMR Assistant

The ICMR Assistant exam is the direct recruitment route into Assistant posts at the Indian Council of Medical Research. Vacancies are few and spread across institutes, so knowing where notices appear and what each stage tests matters as much as the preparation itself.

This guide brings together the latest verified dates and vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, salary, a post-wise comparison with UDC and LDC, cut-off references and a practical preparation plan.

Table of Contents

• What is ICMR Assistant?

• ICMR Assistant at a Glance

• How ICMR Recruits Assistants Now

• Important Dates of the Latest Cycles

• ICMR Assistant Vacancy Details

• ICMR Assistant Eligibility Criteria

• Application Fee and How to Apply

• ICMR Assistant Exam Pattern

• ICMR Assistant Syllabus Summary

• Selection Process

• Salary and Career Growth

• Post-Wise Comparison: Assistant vs UDC vs LDC

• How to Prepare for the ICMR Assistant Exam

• Cut-off Reference

What is ICMR Assistant?

ICMR Assistant is a national-level direct recruitment for the post of Assistant in the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which works under the Department of Health Research, Government of India. It is a Group B administrative post at Pay Level 6, based at ICMR Headquarters in New Delhi or at one of its research institutes and centres across India, where Assistants handle establishment, accounts and procurement files. Graduates from any state can apply, and the post carries all-India transfer liability.

The exam is not held on a fixed annual schedule. ICMR fills its direct recruitment share when vacancies arise, either through institute-level notifications with a common computer-based test (CBT) or through the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi. It is typically taken by graduates aged up to 30 who want a central government office job, and many also apply for the UDC and LDC posts notified alongside it. Selection runs in three stages: a CBT, a qualifying Computer Proficiency Test and document verification.

ICMR Assistant at a Glance

How ICMR Recruits Assistants Now

Under the ICMR administrative cadre recruitment rules, Assistant posts are filled in three ways. Only the direct recruitment share is open to outside candidates, so that is the focus of this page.

Route 1: Institute-level notifications with a common CBT

In February 2025, several ICMR institutes, including ICMR-NIRT Chennai, ICMR-NIN Hyderabad, ICMR-NIE Chennai, ICMR-NIRBI Kolkata and ICMR-RMRC Sri Vijaya Puram, issued separate notifications for Assistant, UDC and LDC posts. Candidates applied to each institute separately, but the CBT was conducted together through C-DAC, New Delhi, on 11 and 12 October 2025. Final merit lists for this cycle were released in May 2026.

Route 2: The AIIMS Common Recruitment Examination

ICMR Headquarters joined CRE-4, conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi, for its administrative vacancies. An ICMR circular dated 27 November 2025 listed 14 Assistant vacancies across seven institutes for this exam and asked institutes not to start separate recruitment for those posts. ICMR published the CRE-4 result for LDC, UDC, Assistant and Personal Assistant posts on 9 July 2026.

What is open right now

As of 28 October 2026, the ICMR employment page lists Assistant posts only on deputation (for serving government employees), not on direct recruitment. An ICMR letter dated 16 April 2026 allows institutes to fill 2025 and 2026 Assistant vacancies locally, so new institute-level notifications can appear at any time. Track the official employment page: https://www.icmr.gov.in/employment-opportunities

Important Dates of the Latest Cycles

These dates come from official ICMR notices and results. Future dates will be set by the next notification, so do not plan around last year's calendar. Check the ICMR employment page and your registered email regularly.

ICMR Assistant Vacancy Details

Vacancies are small and spread across institutes, which is why it pays to watch every notice. The table below shows verified Assistant vacancies from the latest cycles.

The CRE-4 result notice lists 26 provisionally selected Assistant candidates, which suggests more vacancies were added after the circular. Treat all counts as indicative, because the competent authority can change vacancies at any stage.

ICMR Assistant Eligibility Criteria

Educational qualification

Candidates need a bachelor's degree of at least three years in any discipline from a recognised university or institution. Working knowledge of computers, especially MS Office and PowerPoint, is part of the essential qualification and is tested in the skill stage.

Age limit

The upper age limit is 30 years, calculated as on the last date of application. Only the date of birth recorded in the matriculation or secondary certificate is accepted.

For full rules on relaxations, nationality and documents, see the ICMR Assistant eligibility guide.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The fee depends on the route, because each recruiting body sets its own.

Steps to apply in a typical cycle:

1. Find the notice: Check the ICMR employment page, the institute's own website, or the AIIMS exams portal for a CRE notice.

2. Register online: Use a valid email ID and mobile number, because all communication is sent there.

3. Fill the form: Enter details exactly as in your Class 10 certificate and choose your category carefully, since it cannot be changed later.

4. Upload documents: Photograph, signature, date-of-birth proof, degree, and category or EWS certificates in the prescribed formats.

5. Pay the fee online: Institute-level notifications need a separate application and fee for each post.

Common reasons for rejection include a category certificate in the wrong format, an expired EWS certificate, and missing NOC for government employees.

ICMR Assistant Exam Pattern

Institute-level CBT (latest ICMR scheme)

Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. There are no sectional cut-offs. Shortlisted candidates then take a 20-mark Computer Proficiency Test of 60 minutes covering typing at 45 words per minute in English or 40 in Hindi, an Excel task and a PowerPoint task.

AIIMS CRE route

If you apply through a CRE, the paper looks different from the institute-level CBT. The table compares the two formats.

What this means for you

• Computer skills count twice: They appear in the CBT and decide the skill test, so build typing speed early.

• Guessing has a cost: Four wrong answers wipe out one correct answer in the institute-level CBT.

• Older pages are outdated: Many sites still show the 2020 pattern of 80 questions in 80 minutes. Follow the latest notification instead.

For marks per section, timing and the final merit formula, read the full ICMR Assistant exam pattern.

ICMR Assistant Syllabus Summary

The topic-wise breakdown with a study order is in the ICMR Assistant syllabus page.

Selection Process

The stages below follow the latest institute-level notifications. Only the CBT score decides your rank; the skill test is a filter.

Salary and Career Growth

In-hand pay depends on the current DA rate and the city of posting, so any monthly figure is an estimate and not an official number. Assistants can move up to Section Officer and further administrative grades through promotion rules. The post also carries all-India transfer liability.

Post-Wise Comparison: Assistant vs UDC vs LDC

ICMR institutes usually notify Assistant posts together with Upper Division Clerk (UDC) and Lower Division Clerk (LDC) posts, and all three used the same CBT syllabus in 2025. If you are a graduate, it often makes sense to apply for more than one.

The CBT has the same structure for all three posts, but question difficulty is set by each post's qualification. Figures are from the 2025 institute-level notifications; check the notice you apply under, because each institute can set its own conditions.

How to Prepare for the ICMR Assistant Exam

• Start with the five CBT sections: Spend the first six to eight weeks on concepts in quantitative aptitude, reasoning and English grammar.

• Read current affairs daily: Add 30 to 40 minutes of news reading and keep monthly notes, with extra attention to health research and ICMR institutes.

• Practise computer skills alongside: Type for 20 minutes a day and build simple Excel sheets and slide decks every week.

• Move to timed practice: From week eight, take sectional tests, then full-length mocks with same-day analysis.

Mock tests

ICMR and AIIMS do not publish an official mock test for the Assistant CBT, so rely on the official notification for the pattern and on timed practice tests in the same format.

If you prefer structured guidance, a Testkart course for ICMR Assistant or a bundle that combines notes and tests can save planning time.

Cut-off Reference

The table shows the closing marks (final score of the last selected candidate) in the official merit lists of 29 May 2026. CBT qualifying marks are listed under the selection process above.

Cut-offs change every cycle with vacancies, difficulty and the number of applicants, so aim for a clear margin above these figures. More detail is on the ICMR Assistant cut-off page.